Page 29 of Slaying the Shifter Prince
It spoke the truth—right now, I needed to focus on this “hunt.”
Jaw clenched, I took a deep breath and tried to keep my fear hidden.
“Such exquisite prey doesn’t come around very often.” The prince stalked closer, and I had to plant my feet on the ground to keep from backing away.
My heart pounded in an urgent rhythm, telling me toget out, get out, get out.
He towered over me and bent closer until his nose was an inch from mine. If he tried to kiss me, I wouldn’t stop him. I would lean into it and give him the kiss of his life before biting his lip until I drew blood.
That thought kept me steady as he smoothed the hair from my face and trailed a claw across my cheek.
“You wear fear so beautifully, little bird.” His voice was a low purr, like it was only for me. His claw traced down my throat—a pinprick of sensation, a tickle that could turn deadly in a mere fraction of an inch. Eyelids flickering shut, he inhaled deeply. “The smell of it is quite intoxicating.”
That was why he’d given me no perfume today. He wanted to smellme.
My mouth went dry, and I had to clench my hands into tight fists to keep from obeying the call in my muscles torun.
“Don’t worry.” He gave a soft smile, golden eyes snapping open. He cupped my chin and lifted it, the claw of his thumb pressing into my lower lip. “I’ll be the one to catch you. And I won’t be gentle.” The soft smile broke into a vicious grin. “Now, little bird,run.”
I stumbled as he shoved me back.
The fae’s laughter and cheer had faded, and now they stood in a semicircle, leaning forward like they were on the starting line of a race, focus intent on me.
That image burned in my brain, I turned and I obeyed the prince.
I ran.
My dainty slippers slapped as I crossed the grass and entered the forest’s shade. Pine needles carpeted the ground, making it springy, muffling the noise of my footfalls. Their fresh scent clung to the air, sappy and green. To my dismay, little grew beneath the soaring pines, save for moss and the occasional scrawny sapling, giving me precious little cover.
There was no sound of the prince or his friends counting like in hide and sneak. How long did I have before they followed?
Pulse speeding in my throat, tingling at the point where the prince had pressed his claw into my lip, I leapt over a fallen log and lengthened my strides. I needed to put as much distance between myself and them before they set off. That was the only thing that mattered right now.
The breaths heaved through me, hard and urgent. Every part of my body buzzed with energy.
I’d never known anything like it. How had I lived so long deadened and now felt likethis? It was as though my body had roared into life.
I had no idea how long I ran before howls cut through the forest’s quiet.
A deep and primal part of me responded to that ancient sound, and raw, obliterating fear flooded me. My heart rate spiked. My lungs heaved. One slipper had fallen off, but I couldn’t afford to give a shit about the pine needles digging into my feet.
Other than the howls, there was no other sound. Not birds. Not the shouts of my hunters. Not the slightest scrape of any footsteps other than my own. Even when I ducked behind a tree and paused, holding my breath to listen…
Quiet.
I peered out from my hiding place. Nothing but the forest—trunk after trunk, moss-covered ground, and scant glimmers of light that broke through the dense canopy.
Were they really chasing me? Or was this a joke on the prince’s part, and he’d find it hilarious that he’d made me run headlong into the forest?
My eyes burned as I scanned for movement.
Nothing.
He would love the fact he’d made me so afraid and uncertain. But in case they really were pursuing me, I’d keep going.
I turned and jerked to a stop.
A dozen feet away, red hair gleamed in the green shade. Slitted yellow eyes watched me, unblinking. A long tail twitched. His form seemed bigger than usual, and he was already huge.
